7th Anniversary of RCD (July 21, 1971)

10-Paisa : The format of the stamp is horizontal. The stamp depicts the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne (Turkey) with the name of the mosque written on the top left in black. On the right there is a red panel which bears the caption “R.C.D. 7th Anniversary 21-7-1971” and the words “Paisa” and “Postage” in black. The denomination is in yellow colour. The white space in between the small red strip on the left and the illustra-tion on the right bears in black the word “Pakistan” in English, Bengali and Urdu.
20-Paisa : The format of the stamp which depicts the Bad-shahi Mosque, Lahore (Pakistan) is horizontal. The lay-out is similar to that of 1O-Paisa stamp with the exception that the colour of the panel on the right and the small strip on the left is green. The name of the mosque appears in black in the top left corner. 50-Paisa: The format of the stamp which depicts the Reli-gious School of Chaharbagh in Isfahan Iran) is vertical. The words “R.C.D. 7th Anniversary 21-7-1Y71”, “Paisa” and “Post-age” are placed in the blue panel at the bottom in black. The denomination appears in the same panel in reverse. The word “Pakistan” in English, Bengali and Urdu appears just below the blue strip on the top of the stamp. The name Religious School of Chaharbagh, Isfahan appears in black letters on the left at the top of the motif. This stamp bears two additional strips in blue on the right and left side of the motif.
To mark the 7th Anniversary of the establishment of the Regional Co-operation for Development falling on the 21st July, 1971, Pakistan, along with the other two member-countries, is issuing a set of three Commemorative Postage Stamps. The subjects chosen therefor are the Muslim Architectural Monu-ments of the three countries. Following is the brief description of the subjects chosen for the purpose
PAKISTAN:
The famous Badshahi Mosque, Lahore, built by Aurangzeb in 1673-74 is one of the most impressive Mughal monuments in the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent. It is square in plan, its face has been built with red sandstone while white marble has been used in constructing the beautiful bulbous domes with a refined curvature constructed at the neck.
The four corners of the gateway have each a small square minaret with lotus-petals at the base. Painted floral panels variegate the archway, the external niches and the walls. The prayer chamber measures 275’-8” x 83’-7”. It has a large central vault with fine subsidiary arches on each side with triple marble domes and four small octagonal minarets at the corners. The main entrance of the prayer chamber, with three centered central vaults, is paneled, enriched with marble inlay in lineal, floral and geometrical patterns. The diameter of the central dome which is bigger than the rest is 62’-1O~. It is 69 feet high and its pinnacle is 24 feet high.
The vast courtyard measures 528’-8”x528’-4”. This is flanked all round by hujras—80 in all. The mosque is built on a raised platform 22 stairs (14’-l”) above the surrounding level on east on which side is the main entrance which is approached by a flight of handsome steps 126’-6” x 59’-4’ rising from three sides and ending on a red sandstone platform 79’x34’ which forms the front of the main entrance—a double storey edifice measuring 66’-7”x62’-l0”.
IRAN:
The Religious School of Chahar Bagh in Isfahan is the last extant masterpiece of the Safavid era. The theological school was constructed under the orders of the last of Safavid Kings, Shah Sultan Hossein—a devout Muslim ruler, on the east side of the Chahar Bagh avenue.
The expertise of the unparalleled tile work of the period throughout the building has produced a monument of awesome beauty.
TURKEY:
The famous Selimiye Mosque in Edirne is the masterpiece design by the renowned Turkish architect Koca Sinan. It was built in 1569-1575 under the orders of Sultan Selim the Second.
The Regional Co-operation for Development was established on July 21, 1964, for “strengthening the development efforts of the three Regional Countries through active and sustained colla-boration on a regional basis.” During the last seven years, the RCD has given content to a dream, substance to an idea and shape to a hope which beacons to a new era of co-operation, socio-cultural collaboration and planned economic growth bet-ween the three countries which geographically, historically, religiously and culturally lie nestling together in a basin of common destiny. Some of the important achievements are the direct microwave link between the three countries; realisation of postal and telegraph charges at inland rates; introduction of the RCD Shipping Service and of the Islamabad-Tehran-Ankara service of P.I.A. linking the capitals of the R.C.D. countries; picking out of 55 large industries for being taken up as joint ventures, 13 of them being already on the ground producing goods; establishment of the R.C.D. Cultural Institute which has already published as many as 27 books and work on another 10 is being continued; setting up of the joint insurance pool which has saved the member countries millions of dollars in foreign exchange; exchange of 1,584 trainees and 165 experts in the field of technical co-operation and management assistance and holding of a number of seminars etc. Many more ambitious schemes (such as formation of a joint airline for operation of sub-sonic and super-sonic jets; roads and rail links to connect the three countries; setting up of an R.C.D. Berth in New York Harbour with common stevedoring facilities; establishment of a joint development bank etc.) are under active consideration.